How pastor fl0gged 13-year-old to d£ath over N30,000

In an apartment somewhere in Obanleku Community, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, a painful silence has settled over a home once filled with the laughter of a 13-year-old girl.

No one hurries out of the house anymore in her school uniform, eager to catch up with classmates. No youthful voice breaks the morning calm. No teenage laughter echoes through the compound.

Nancy Peter is gone!

At just 13, she had barely begun the journey of life. She would never complete secondary school. She would never sit for WAEC. She would never fall in love, become a mother, build a career, or fulfil whatever dreams she secretly nurtured in her young heart.

Everything ended on a day that began with a missing N30,000.

Today, what remains are tears, regrets, and haunting questions over how a little girl accused of stealing could end up losing her life in circumstances that have shocked the nation.

Beating that led to death
For Nancy, it was supposed to be another reprimand. Instead, it became her final day on earth.

As you read this piece, her grieving mother, Agnes Peter, sits in police custody alongside her pastor, 45-year-old Roman Samson, founder and General Overseer of Goodness of Jesus Ministry, who allegedly flogged Nancy to death after her mother brought her to him over allegations of theft.

Ironically, both the pastor and the mother insisted that Nancy’s death was never intended. While Pastor Samson claimed he merely acted on the mother’s request to discipline the teenager, Agnes maintained that she only sought counselling and prayers for her daughter.

The missing N30,000
According to police sources, the tragedy began on June 1, 2026, when Agnes discovered that the N30,000 cash she had kept at home was missing and accused her 13-year-old daughter of taking it.

A source at the Homicide Section of the Cross River State Police Command said:”The woman took her 13-year-old daughter to her pastor’s house for stealing. She complained that she had kept N30,000 at home and could not find the money when she needed it. She accused her daughter of stealing the money. The woman left the poor girl with the pastor and went home. By the time she returned, the pastor had flogged the girl to death with a horsewhip. He took her to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead,” the source disclosed.Law Enforcement

I didn’t tell him to kill her” – Mother
The mother of the deceased teenager told detectives that she only sought counselling and prayers for her daughter.

Recounting the events that led to the tragedy, Agnes said: “It is true that I took my daughter to the pastor after I discovered that my N30,000 was missing from where I kept it. That was not the first time my daughter had stolen my money, and it was not the first time I reported her to the pastor.

“That day, I took her to my pastor’s house when she refused to disclose where she kept my money. While we were at the pastor’s house, she confessed to stealing the money and even told me that she kept it in one of her trousers.

“I quickly stood up to go and confirm where she kept the money, and I found my N30,000 in the pocket of one of her trousers.

“The pastor had not beaten her when I left to search for where she said she kept the money. It was while I was returning that I saw him rushing my daughter to the hospital. I met him on the way. I didn’t tell him to kill my daughter. I have reported her to the pastor before, and I only wanted him to scold and counsel her. I was not there when he beat my daughter to death. I only saw him taking her to the hospital,” she lamented.

Pastor speaks
While Agnes insisted she only sought counselling for her daughter, Pastor Samson offered a different account of the events that culminated in Nancy’s death. The 45-year-old General Overseer described the deceased teenager as someone he had known for years and whose family he had supported through difficult times. He said his relationship with the family dated back about four years, when Nancy’s mother allegedly approached him following a marital crisis.

He said:”I started my own ministry some years back. I met Mrs Peter about four years ago when she had a misunderstanding with her husband. She had three children for the husband, but she was sent away by the man. I didn’t know what happened between them. The man was not a member of my church. It was only the woman and her children who attended my church. When the woman came, she had nothing. She was rejected by her husband with two children. I began to fund their schooling and upkeep.

“God answered the woman’s prayer through me, and she started selling fish. The girl had been stealing her mother’s money. Each time she complained, I would appeal to her to remain calm. I would call the girl and scold her. That happened more than twenty times,” he stated.

Horsewhip of death
“On the day she brought the girl to my house she complained that she had stolen her money again. She also complained that her daughter was in the habit of sleeping away from home. She told me that the girl stole her N30,000 and asked me to beat her. She also said she had already beaten her but wanted me to beat her as well.”

The pastor admitted using a horsewhip on the teenager but maintained that he never intended to kill her.

“I went for my horsewhip and started beating her. I only gave her about 13 to 15 strokes when I discovered that the girl became very weak. I quickly rushed her to the hospital, but she died by the time we got there,” he said.

Visibly remorseful, Samson expressed regret over the incident, insisting that the deceased was like a member of his family.

“I feel very sad. I didn’t want to kill her. It was her mum who insisted that I must beat her. She was like a daughter to me,” he lamented.

Unfortunately, the teenager is no longer alive to explain what transpired.

Police step in
The tragedy has triggered outrage within the community and beyond.Law Enforcement

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, ASP Eitokpah Sunday, confirmed the arrest of both suspects and assured that a thorough investigation was ongoing to ensure justice is served.

According to him:”The Command notes that the successes recorded by its operatives in various operations are a testament to the professionalism, bravery, and dedication of officers and men who continue to deploy intelligence-driven strategies in denying criminal elements the opportunity to operate.

“The Cross River State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Rashid Afegbua, assures residents of its commitment to sustaining the ongoing offensive against criminality and dismantling all criminal networks operating within the state and its environs.

“The Command therefore urges members of the public to continue partnering with the Police by providing timely, credible, and actionable information, which remains critical to the collective effort of safeguarding lives and property.”